Behind The Masks
by Rhysthebeast
Summary: "Are you all thick or something? I said, Who's in charge?" I growl at the children in front of me, and their heads snap to a guy about my age, donning a burgundy polo. Easy target. -Elektra Perkins is a strange girl. Blue hair, Blue clothes, Blue mind.-Childrens homes haven't broken her, they've strengthened her instead. ...Until he comes along. Do opposites really attract?


*Elektra's POV*

"Elektra!"

Clarisse, my social worker, calls me out of my thoughts as we pull up outside the new care-home. Elm Tree House.

"What?" I huff, and she sighs.

"We're here." I laugh sarcastically. "No really?" I scoff, and she hits her head against the steering wheel. "God, Elektra, just hurry up, and get out."

She's frustrated, so I unbuckle, popping the car door open before stepping out.

"I don't get why you bother, I'll only be here for 5 minutes. Might as well send me back to Burnywood the way this goes on!" I exclaim, grabbing the only bag I own and slipping it over my head, and letting it fall to my shoulder.

"You know I can't do that!" She starts, putting a hand on my shoulder, and I flinch away involuntarily. "Burnywood... wasn't... right for you.-You're just too... spirited for them."

I roll my eyes. "You mean; 'Burnywood dumped you because they couldn't handle you'? -'Cause I'm certain that's what happened."

She smiles slightly. "Nothing escapes you, does it, kiddo?" She ruffles my hair, and pulls me by my wrist into the house which hurts like literal hell.

What a cow.

"Mike, this is Elektra!" She presents me as if I'm a present, and I cringe. This is going to be a looong day...

*Liam's POV*

"And 3...2...1."

I pause as my beautiful creation bubbles to life.

-Liamade.

- Best creation known to mankind.

-I invented it at my first foster home when I waslocked in he house for days on end and I ran out of good food and drink. I made a huge mess in the cows' kitchen and got a massive beating for it. -But it was worth it. 2 days later, they shipped me back off to the dumping ground covered in bruises and broken bones. Right back to the beginning. Where it begun. Where I belong.

-Most people think I'm crazy, but I like the Dumping Ground. -It's not bad, when you get to know it.

"-Are you gunna drink that?" Frank, (my Cerebral Palsy best friend,) asks me, and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Why?"

-Frank doesn't like Liamade. Only I do.

"There's a new girl."

I raise my other eyebrow at him. "So?"

He shakes his head at me, apparently disappointed. "Put Liamade in her cup for tea!" He says in a 'duh' voice.

"Okay." I tell him, and he smiles. "Yes!"

We smirk, and stand up from our barstools.

"I don't get why you bother, I'll only be here for 5 minutes. Might as well send me back to Burnywood the way this goes on!" A frustrated female voice sounds from outside.

Frank and I run to the window in hopes to see the voice's owner.

there, outside, is a girl around my age. Her brunette hair frames her face, and blue highlights streak it as it falls just below her shoulders. Her blue leather jacket and outfit gives her a tough look, as if she belongs in a gang. The only girly thing about her outfit is the yellow hoop earrings she wears, and I get the feeling it will be the girliest thing I'll ever see her glossy DM's glint in the sunlight as she converses with her care-worker.

-Although whilst she talks she looks angry, I still think she's the prettiest girl the Dumping Ground has ever seen.

-Pity she won't last long.

Seems too mainstream for this place.

"C'mon, we don't have much time!" Frank slurs, snapping me back to reality.

-Although Frank has Cerebral Palsy, he's a really cool guy. I just wish people would look past the disability and see the awesome guy he is inside.

I empty the juice jug, and tip the Liamade in, adding some food colouring to make it look more convincing. -Putting the 'juice' in the fridge, we head into the living room to play pool and warn the others of our little prank.

*Elektra's POV*

"Do you mind if I meet them without any... Adults? I just find its so... Formal, when there's staff there." I ask politely, and Mike nods, pointing to the direction in which the others are situated. As soon as I'm out of sight, I frown, gripping my bag.

This is it.

No adults around, so getting beaten up won't be sprung on me as usual.

As I walk in, all the small children crowd me, smiling and throwing sweet comments. Trying to soften me up, I bet.-Well, it's not working.

"Shut up." I snap, and they all look at me, shocked.

God, they're good actors. I bet everyone usually falls for their little facade.

"Who's in charge?" I demand, and they simply gape.

"What, are you all thick, or something? I Said, who's. in. charge?" I curse, and their heads turn slowly to a guy about my age who stands before a pool table in a pink-ish polo.

His short-ish brunette hair flops across his forehead, and his face dons a bewildered look. -Surely he's in on it.

I let fear take over for a second and hesitate before storming towards him, and sending him flying across the pool table.

*Liam's POV*

"What, are you all thick, or something? I Said, who's. in. charge?" The girl spits out, and the others turn slowly to me.

Nice one, guys.

The girl stomps towards me, fear showing evidently on her pretty features, before pushing me forcefully across the pool table. It's like the whole world slows down a second, as I topple over, my back slamming into the green surface.

My head throbs as I tumble off, landing on the hard ground below.

"Come on, then!" She dares me, and Frank helps me stagger up, shaking my head.

"You chicken or what? Come on!" She taunts, throwing a pool stick I didn't realise she had, to the corner of the room.

"I'm not gunna fight you, ya nutter!" I exclaim, and watch as her face flashes fear once more.

"2 shots, weren't it Frank?" I question, picking up the stick, and making my move. As soon as I hit a ball into a hole, I look up at the girl, and smirk.

She shakes her head slightly, and turns away, annoyed. I watch her backside as she walks off, bending down to pick her bag up before staking out.

"It's 4 nil." I mutter to frank before turning to the others.

" why'd you look at me? Why can't you just fight your own battles for once? -Cos I'm not doing it!" With that, I huff. "Come on, Frank!"

With that, I leave the room, Frank following close behind. Making my way up the stairs, I pass one of our usually empty rooms And hear a loud huff. I hesitate around the door frame as Carmen, who's apparently followed us, knocks. I gesture for her to converse with the new girl, and she nods.

"What?"A loud, frustrated voice is heard, and I push Carmen in.

"Are you okay?" She questions, and I clench my fists. That wasn't the question I wanted to hear the answer to!

"Fine!" The girl snaps, then sighs. "I'm sorry, I'm just... Having a bad day."

I scoff inwardly. Yeah, she's the one who flew across a pool table and hurt her head.

"So... Why'd you wanna fight Liam?"She questions, and I fist pump. Right question! Good old Carmen!

"It's just... Everywhere I've been, someone's beaten me up on the first day. I just... Wanted to get it over with."

My eyes widen. So that's why she was scared, even after I refused to fight her. She thought I'd hurt her later on.

-Carmen coughs, a signal for me to leave, and I do, meeting Frank in the attic as planned.

*Elektra's POV*

After I apologise to the others with Carmen's help, I head to tea. Sitting down at the already set table, I look down. The others, even though they have forgiven me, kind of give off the vibe that they don't want me here, and although Carmen has pushed the ginger one off his seat for me, I don't want to bother them.

Yet.

Soon enough, Liam and his friend sit down at the table.

"Alright you lot, let's eat!" Mike chirps, and everyone just helps themselves.

I'm so stunned I can't move. There are no locks in the kitchen, the food looks decent, and everyone helps themselves to their own food!

Carmen passes me the salad, and I put some on my plate before passing it to Liam's friend. I'm passed a vast variety of things, and before I know it, I'm eating the first full meal I've had in... What, about two years?

As I look around though, I realise I'm eating much less than the others, and Liam's staring at me and my plate in utter disgust.

Okay then, be like that!

*Liam's POV*

Is she anorexic or something?

I don't know, but the amount of food she has on her plate is utterly horrifying. And worst of all, she's looking at it like it's a banquet or something!

She looks up, her blue-ish eyes sparkling in the light, and catches me looking at her plate.

Whoops.

"Liam! Stop staring at her like that! It isn't polite!" Gina leans down and whispers in my ear harshly.

I look down quickly at my own tea and then look up again, remembering the Liamade.

"Pass me the juice, will you?" I ask Gus, and looks at me weirdly.

"But it's not juice." He states, matter of factly.

Everyone's heads snap to Elektra, who, fortunately is deep in conversation with Toby about... Anime?

"Alright, pass me the jug." I say to him, and he obeys.

Pouring myself some, I pass it down the table until it reaches Tee, who offers some to Elektra. I smirk to myself, before taking a gulp of my own drink.

This was going to be good...

*Elektra's POV*

"Elektra, would you like some juice?" Tee asks me, and I'm sure my eyes widen.

"Sure." I say, trying to be nonchalant about it.

"Okay then..."

Soon I'm given some red liquid in a cup. (A/N Liam and Frank used food colouring!)

-I can't remember the last time I had juice. -Melissa's birthday, maybe?

"Wait..." I start, suspicion kicking in.

"Aren't you lot having any?" I set down the cup.

Everyone's heads turn to Liam, who's pouring himself a cup, red staining his tongue as he pokes it out, trying to concentrate on not spilling any.

I shrug, all suspicion gone, and raise the cup to my lips, before taking a sip. A strange taste fills my mouth, and I swallow. Liam's smirking, and the others are leaning forward, apparently wanting to hear my verdict on whatever that was.

"I'm no expert," I start. "But that was definitely not juice."

Liam's chuckling as I look at them weirdly.

"But whatever it was, it was good." I finish, and all their eyes widen, and Liam chokes on his own drink.

"Y-you like l-li-Liamade?" He splutters, and I look at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Liamade? Huh. And yeah, it was pretty good." I tell him, amused, and Carmen turns to me.

"No one likes Liamade!" She exclaims, and a loud cough is heard.

"Except for me!" Liam butts in, and I laugh a little.

"And now me." I smirk, and he sighs, stabbing his fork into a chicken nugget, and eating it.

2 nil to Team Elektra!

Hey, It's Rhys! I've put the first 3 short chapters into a larger one, and I'm still writing it all up! In case you didn't realise, I'm going to change the actual timeline of Tracey Beaker Returns Series 2 Episode 6, so I'll be delaying SETA for a bit and adding an extra day to it. -If this doesn't make sense, then I'm sorry, but it will in time. Thanks!


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